I begin this in the rain. Monsoon season is creeping up on us. Actually, falling down on us. I am sitting on a house boat, moored alongside a light pink, cement house for the night. We spent about 4 hours tootling up and down canal ways that cut between massive rice fields, walled off from one another to allow for water travel in the backwaters. This house boat is my hotel for the day and night. Aside from my mother, there are three others on the boat—all of whom operate it for us. We have a few meals on board as we lazily traverse the waters, passing

Inbetween bouts of applying for a bank account—which has included turning in the same set of forms 3 times—I have set up a local cell phone, registered with immigration and struggled with setting up mobile internet service. Truthfully, immigration isn’t quite over as I need to return and get a stamp. I am not sure if it is for approval, recognition, my protection or India’s. No one said anything at the immigration office. There I waited behind a Chinese tour guide (my assumption) as he registered a whole phone book’s worth of people. When I got to the man at the d

For those in the know, my trip was delayed because of a long VISA approval process and then my flight just barely missed the volcanic ash over Europe. Despite all that, I am here, mostly settled in and slowly getting my mind around being here for six months. Although it seems a long stay, already I feel like there is plenty to keep me busy.

2009 Fulbright Nehru Senior Research Scholar in Education. Heading to Chennai, India in March 2010 for six months to implement a project entitled, "Animating Mythological Histories: Investigating a Drama-based Pedagogy." More information to follow as the time approaches.